This invention relates generally to footwear, and in particular to footwear having a heel and heel breast collectively adapted for receiving a heel pad for cushioning a foot inside the footwear.
During each step (“a gait cycle”), the heel generally strikes the ground first, and the foot pivots on the heel so the lateral part of the forefoot contacts the ground. The foot then rapidly rotates so the medial part of the forefoot contacts the ground. At this point, the foot is in a neutral position in which the bottom of the calcaneus (i.e., the heel bone) and the metatarsal heads (i.e., the bones forming the ball of the foot) are supported by the ground. The foot then rolls upward on the metatarsal heads before the distal and proximal phalanges (i.e., the toe bones) flex downward to push off the ground in preparation of the next step.
As description above, certain parts of the foot are subjected to impact forces which are transferred to other skeletal structures such as the shins and knees when walking. Preferably, footwear attenuates these impact forces to reduce stresses to the wearer's body. One common approach for attenuating the impact forces to a wearer is to provide additional padding, such as a heel pad, in the sole for underlying the wearer's heel. Typically, an upper portion of the heel surface has a recessed portion to receive the heel pad and accommodate the additional padding. It is important that the recessed portion of the heel and accordingly, the padding be positioned beneath the location on the wearer's foot to which the impact force is applied. In a heeled shoe, such as a woman's pump, the impact location on the wearer's foot is commonly forward of the heel of the shoe. In fact, the heel impact location moves more forward (i.e., toward the toe) as the height of the heel increases. As a result, the padding does not lie directly beneath the impacted portion and therefore, does not effectively attenuate the impact forces. Accordingly, there is a need for a heeled shoe having padding underlying the stressed portion of a wearer's foot.